London – Two of the most coveted Marilyn Monroe portraits by Andy Warhol will star in Bonhams' Prints & Multiples sale on Tuesday 10 December at New Bond Street, London. The works are offered with estimates of £120,000-180,000 and £100,000-150,000.

In 1962, upon hearing the news of Marilyn Monroe's death, Andy Warhol sought to capture her in a portrait. A publicity still of the actress, taken from Niagara (1953), became the source of his inspiration, from which Warhol would create a portfolio of ten screenprints in vibrant colours. These were some of the first prints Warhol produced and distributed through his print-publishing business, Factory Additions. Warhol cropped the image of Monroe into a headshot, which he composed in ten coloured screenprinted versions. Each image is the product of five screens: one printing the photographic image of the actress and four holding different areas of colour. Two prints from the celebrated Marilyn series now come to Bonhams, in striking red and green colourways.

Carolin von Massenbach, Head of Prints & Multiples at Bonhams, commented: "We are delighted to be offering such an exceptional selection of works in our upcoming Prints & Multiples sale, starring some extraordinary, rare prints by Andy Warhol. The vibrant red and pink Marylin is particularly special, as it reveals Warhol's ongoing fascination with his muse, making history as one of the most celebrated Pop works to ever be created. In addition to the many highly sought-after works of American Pop Art, from Warhol to Lichtenstein, the sale also honours further important developments in the genre of printmaking by offering works by celebrated print masters including Rembrandt, Pablo Picasso, David Hockney and Bridget Riley. With something in the sale for every collector across art historical periods, we expect significant interest."

The Dollar Sign ($) set by Warhol, 1982, is another exceptional highlight of the sale with an estimate of £250,000-350,000. The lot comprises a complete set of six screenprints in unique colour variations, making this an incredibly special group. One of Warhol's most recognisable and powerful images, Warhol employs his signature repeating design this time not with an existing image but instead his own dollar sign symbol inspired by commercial typography and his former career as an illustrator. Transforming a financial symbol into an artistic image, Warhol's Dollar Sign screenprints exemplify the artist's signature style, blurring the lines between art and commerce.

Early prints by David Hockney

The sale will also include 15 rare works by David Hockney from the 1960s and 1980s, offering collectors the opportunity to acquire works from earlier stages of the artist's printmaking career, the majority of these works originate from a single-owner collection. The collection is led by the earliest work, My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, 1961, an etching completed by the artist on his first visit to New York as an art student. Hockney collages the head of George Washington from a United States postage stamp. The work is offered with an estimate of £8,000-12,000.

Other highlights of the 91-lot live sale include:

• Sybil Andrews (1898-1992), Speedway. Estimate: £40,000-60,000

• Yayoi Kusama (b.1929), Pumpkin (YY). Estimate: £40,000-50,000

• David Hockney (b.1937), Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for Book. Estimate: £30,000-50,000

• Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Vénus et l'amour d'après Cranach. Estimate: £30,000-50,000

• Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997), Still Life with Red Jar. Estimate: £12,000-18,000

In addition to the live sale, Bonhams will hold an online Prints & Multiples sale on bonhams.com running until 3 December 2024. The 211-lot sale will feature an impressive variety of prints spanning from the 17th century to the 21st century, from Old Masters to contemporary prints. Highlights include works by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Thomas Gainsborough, L.S. Lowry, Dame Barbara Hepworth, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Sonia Delaunay, Pablo Picasso and David Hockney among others.

29 November 2024